Blasticade
Foehn Revolt |recharge = 4:00 |called = Blast Furnace |effect = Causes all Blast Trenches to generate a steam barrier for 1800 frames (120 in-game seconds) which instantly destroys any units (except epic units and Hunter-Seeker drones) that comes in contact with the barrier, neutralizes any attacks directed at targets inside the barrier from the outside, and prevents ground units from passing through * The Blast Trenches will become indestructible while Blasticade is active * Can be enabled or disabled while active |notes = * The Blasticade will start to recharge after it ends instead of after being activated * The Blasticade will end prematurely (if active at the moment) and have to be charged all over again if the Blast Furnace is disabled or the owner's base is on low power |artist = Apollo |superweapon = 1 }} The Blasticade is a support power that is the ability of the Foehn's support superweapon, the Blast Furnace. It moves the high-pressure steam produced in the Blast Furnace into all Blast Trenches upon activation, forming a barrier of strong, controlled steam eruptions which will destroy everything that comes in contact with the barrier, be it on the ground or in the air (including aerial units that are normally invulnerable to anti-air defenses such as Recon Drones and the Spy Plane), neutralizes any attacks directed at targets inside the barrier from the outside (including destructible projectiles such as Scud Launcher rockets), and causes the Blast Trenches to become impervious to any and all external interference. Ground units will be unable to pass through the Blast Trenches and have to seek another route while Blasticade is active, but air and burrowing units will often be unaware of the steam barrier and unknowingly fly or dig straight into it, resulting in their demise. However, epic units and Hunter-Seeker drones are unaffected by the Blasticade and can safely go through the steam barrier without suffering any noticeable damage. Unlike other superweapons which starts to recharge as soon as they are activated, the Blasticade will only recharge at the end of its duration, and can also be toggled as the commander wishes while active to allow friendly troops to safely pass through. Strategy General tips * Blasticade is a purely defensive superweapon; while it cannot benefit Foehn units on the front lines, it is able to delay or destroy opposing armies if they plan on attacking the Foehn base. ** In addition, Blasticade also requires an auxiliary object (Blast Trench) to become usable; while this means that the Blasticade is dependent on such trenches, the Blasticade can be expanded up to the point where an entire base is surrounded by Blast Trenches, rendering the base impassable from any incursion once the Blasticade is active. * As the only support superweapon capable of harming enemies directly, Blasticade also stands as the superweapon with the shortest cooldown and longest duration, so a Foehn player should have ample time in preparing a counterattack and/or for their stationary defenses to wipe out the remaining forces as the Blasticade lasts. * Blasticade can also be turned on/off at will once it is off cooldown; skilled Foehn players would only activate the Blasticade when needed, to not completely waste the remaining duration of the superweapon. If the Blasticade is treated this way, said superweapon can last the entire match without ever needing to completely recharge again in normal circumstances, and opponents will find it difficult to breach the Foehn base if their attacks are always anticipated. This also makes the Blasticade identical to a Gate if managed properly. * If the power grid or the Blast Furnace itself is disabled while the Blasticade is working, the Blasticade has to recharge from the beginning after either becomes online. ** However, all naval siege units will experience difficulty in doing these due to their destructible projectiles, making the Blasticade an efficient counter to navy sieges. * The Blast Furnace and Trenches requires sufficient building space and time (e.g. Blast Trenches cannot surround an entire base if the terrain is inclined), so Blasticade is usually unnecessary if the Foehn player is continuously on the offensive. AI behavior Except in the Firestorm Challenge, Blasticade is the only superweapon the AI will never use, even if they own Blast Furnaces(s) that are already placed in the battlefield (such as in certain maps in the Fortress gamemode). Appearances Challenges * The Blasticade is a major obstacle present in the Firestorm Challenge. It is activated without Blast Furnaces, which makes destroying the Foehn bases the only way to disable the Blasticade. It has an increased countdown of 10 minutes but lasts for 2 minutes like in regular gameplay. Skirmish * In the Fortress map Yunru's Keep, the defending player can use Blasticade from the pre-placed Blast Furnaces, even though superweapons are normally disabled in the Fortress game mode. Trivia * The Blasticade is functionally similar to the Firestorm Barrier in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm, only having visual differences. See also * Chronoshift * Invulnerability * Rage zh:爆裂屏障 Category:Support superweapons Category:Support Powers Category:Foehn Revolt